Claude Code Advanced Features

Take your Claude Code skills to the next level with this comprehensive guide to advanced features, custom workflows, and powerful integrations. This tutorial assumes you're already familiar with basic Claude Code usage and are ready to unlock its full potential.

Advanced Configuration
Custom Workflows and Automation
Project Context Management
Advanced Code Generation
Integration with Development Tools
Performance Optimization
Custom Commands and Plugins
Advanced Debugging Techniques
Hands-On Project
Best Practices and Tips

Advanced Configuration

Environment-Specific Settings

Create multiple configuration profiles for different projects:

# Create a profile for web development
claude-code config create web-dev

# Create a profile for data science
claude-code config create data-science

# Switch between profiles
claude-code config use web-dev

Configuration File Structure

Edit .claude-code/config.json directly for fine-tuned control:

{
  "profiles": {
    "web-dev": {
      "model": "claude-3-opus",
      "temperature": 0.7,
      "maxTokens": 4000,
      "languages": ["javascript", "typescript", "react"],
      "codeStyle": {
        "indent": 2,
        "quotes": "single",
        "semicolons": false,
        "lineLength": 80
      },
      "integrations": {
        "prettier": true,
        "eslint": true,
        "git": {
          "autoCommit": false,
          "commitStyle": "conventional"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Model Parameters

Fine-tune Claude's responses with advanced parameters:

# Set custom temperature for creative tasks
claude-code config set temperature 0.9

# Adjust max tokens for longer responses
claude-code config set maxTokens 8000

# Set system prompts for specific behavior
claude-code config set systemPrompt "You are an expert React developer focusing on performance optimization"

Custom Workflows and Automation

Creating Workflow Scripts

Build reusable workflows for common tasks:

// .claude-code/workflows/review-and-test.js
module.exports = {
  name: 'review-and-test',
  description: 'Review code, suggest improvements, and generate tests',
  steps: [
    {
      command: 'review',
      args: ['${file}'],
      saveOutput: 'review.md'
    },
    {
      command: 'refactor',
      args: ['${file}', '--based-on', 'review.md'],
      requireConfirmation: true
    },
    {
      command: 'test',
      args: ['${file}', '--coverage', '90'],
      saveOutput: 'tests/${file}.test.js'
    }
  ]
};

Execute workflows:

claude-code workflow run review-and-test --file=app.js

Batch Processing

Process multiple files efficiently:

# Review all JavaScript files in a directory
claude-code batch review "src/**/*.js" --output=reviews/

# Refactor all Python files following PEP 8
claude-code batch refactor "**/*.py" --style=pep8

# Generate tests for an entire module
claude-code batch test "src/components/**/*.jsx" --framework=jest

Automation with Hooks

Set up Git hooks for automatic code review:

# .git/hooks/pre-commit
#!/bin/bash
files=$(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM | grep -E '\.(js|ts|py)$')

for file in $files; do
  echo "Reviewing $file with Claude Code..."
  claude-code review "$file" --quick
  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "Review failed for $file"
    exit 1
  fi
done

Project Context Management

Building Rich Context

Provide Claude with comprehensive project understanding:

# Index your entire project
claude-code context index

# Add specific documentation
claude-code context add README.md ARCHITECTURE.md

# Include external dependencies info
claude-code context add package.json requirements.txt

# Add custom context files
claude-code context add .claude-code/project-rules.md

Context Templates

Create context templates for different project types:

# .claude-code/contexts/react-app.yaml
name: React Application
includes:
  - "src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}"
  - "package.json"
  - "tsconfig.json"
  - "webpack.config.js"
  - ".env.example"
excludes:
  - "node_modules/**"
  - "build/**"
  - "*.test.js"
metadata:
  framework: "React 18"
  stateManagement: "Redux Toolkit"
  styling: "Tailwind CSS"
  testing: "Jest + React Testing Library"

Smart Context Loading

Load context based on current task:

# Automatically load relevant context
claude-code start --smart-context

# Load specific context template
claude-code start --context=react-app

# Minimal context for performance
claude-code start --context=minimal

Advanced Code Generation

Template-Based Generation

Create custom code templates:

// .claude-code/templates/react-component.js
module.exports = {
  name: 'react-component',
  prompts: [
    { name: 'componentName', message: 'Component name:' },
    { name: 'props', message: 'Props (comma-separated):' },
    { name: 'hooks', message: 'Hooks to use:', choices: ['useState', 'useEffect', 'useContext'] }
  ],
  generate: (answers) => `
import React${answers.hooks.length ? `, { ${answers.hooks.join(', ')} }` : ''} from 'react';
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
import styles from './${answers.componentName}.module.css';

const ${answers.componentName} = ({ ${answers.props} }) => {
  ${answers.hooks.includes('useState') ? 'const [state, setState] = useState(null);' : ''}
  
  ${answers.hooks.includes('useEffect') ? `useEffect(() => {
    // Effect logic here
  }, []);` : ''}

  return (
    <div className={styles.container}>
      {/* Component content */}
    </div>
  );
};

${answers.componentName}.propTypes = {
  ${answers.props.split(',').map(prop => `${prop.trim()}: PropTypes.any`).join(',\n  ')}
};

export default ${answers.componentName};
`
};

Use templates:

claude-code generate react-component

Multi-File Generation

Generate entire features with related files:

# Generate a complete REST API endpoint
claude-code generate feature api-endpoint \
  --name=users \
  --methods=GET,POST,PUT,DELETE \
  --auth=jwt \
  --database=postgres

# This creates:
# - controllers/userController.js
# - routes/userRoutes.js
# - models/User.js
# - tests/user.test.js
# - docs/users-api.md

Code Transformation

Transform code between languages or frameworks:

# Convert JavaScript to TypeScript
claude-code transform app.js --to=typescript

# Migrate class components to functional
claude-code transform components/ --from=class --to=functional

# Convert callback-based to async/await
claude-code transform legacy-api.js --modernize

Integration with Development Tools

IDE Integration

VS Code Extension

# Install the VS Code extension
claude-code install vscode-extension

# Configure keybindings
claude-code vscode config

Use in VS Code:

Cmd+Shift+C: Ask Claude about selected code
Cmd+Shift+R: Review current file
Cmd+Shift+T: Generate tests for current file

JetBrains Integration

# Install for IntelliJ/WebStorm/PyCharm
claude-code install jetbrains-plugin

CI/CD Pipeline Integration

GitHub Actions

# .github/workflows/claude-review.yml
name: Claude Code Review

on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize]

jobs:
  review:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      - name: Install Claude Code
        run: npm install -g claude-code
      - name: Configure Claude Code
        env:
          CLAUDE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_API_KEY }}
        run: |
          claude-code auth --key=$CLAUDE_API_KEY
          claude-code config set model claude-3-sonnet
      - name: Review Changed Files
        run: |
          files=$(git diff --name-only origin/main...HEAD)
          claude-code batch review $files --output=review-report.md
      - name: Comment on PR
        uses: actions/github-script@v6
        with:
          script: |
            const fs = require('fs');
            const review = fs.readFileSync('review-report.md', 'utf8');
            github.rest.issues.createComment({
              issue_number: context.issue.number,
              owner: context.repo.owner,
              repo: context.repo.repo,
              body: review
            });

Build Tool Integration

Webpack Plugin

// webpack.config.js
const ClaudeCodePlugin = require('claude-code-webpack-plugin');

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    new ClaudeCodePlugin({
      reviewOnBuild: true,
      generateTypes: true,
      optimizeBundles: true,
      apiKey: process.env.CLAUDE_API_KEY
    })
  ]
};

Performance Optimization

Caching Strategies

Configure intelligent caching:

# Enable aggressive caching
claude-code cache config --mode=aggressive

# Set cache TTL
claude-code cache config --ttl=3600

# Clear specific cache types
claude-code cache clear --type=reviews
claude-code cache clear --type=context

Parallel Processing

Enable parallel operations for better performance:

# Enable parallel file processing
claude-code config set parallel.enabled true
claude-code config set parallel.maxWorkers 4

# Batch operations with parallelism
claude-code batch review "src/**/*.js" --parallel --workers=8

Response Optimization

Optimize Claude's response time:

// .claude-code/optimizations.js
module.exports = {
  // Use streaming for long responses
  streaming: {
    enabled: true,
    chunkSize: 100
  },
  
  // Prefetch common operations
  prefetch: [
    'review',
    'test',
    'explain'
  ],
  
  // Smart token management
  tokenOptimization: {
    enabled: true,
    strategy: 'dynamic',
    maxContextTokens: 8000,
    reservedResponseTokens: 2000
  }
};

Custom Commands and Plugins

Creating Custom Commands

Build your own Claude Code commands:

// .claude-code/commands/security-audit.js
const { Command } = require('claude-code-sdk');

class SecurityAuditCommand extends Command {
  constructor() {
    super({
      name: 'security-audit',
      description: 'Perform security audit on code',
      options: [
        { name: '--severity', description: 'Minimum severity level', default: 'medium' },
        { name: '--fix', description: 'Attempt to fix issues', type: 'boolean' }
      ]
    });
  }

  async execute(files, options) {
    const results = [];
    
    for (const file of files) {
      const code = await this.readFile(file);
      const audit = await this.claude.analyze(code, {
        prompt: `Perform a security audit. Look for:
          - SQL injection vulnerabilities
          - XSS vulnerabilities
          - Authentication issues
          - Sensitive data exposure
          - Dependency vulnerabilities`,
        context: {
          severity: options.severity,
          framework: await this.detectFramework(file)
        }
      });
      
      results.push({ file, audit });
      
      if (options.fix && audit.fixable) {
        await this.applyFixes(file, audit.fixes);
      }
    }
    
    return this.formatReport(results);
  }
}

module.exports = SecurityAuditCommand;

# Register the command
claude-code command register ./commands/security-audit.js

# Use it
claude-code security-audit src/ --severity=high --fix

Plugin Development

Create shareable plugins:

// claude-code-plugin-optimizer/index.js
module.exports = {
  name: 'optimizer',
  version: '1.0.0',
  commands: [
    require('./commands/optimize-imports'),
    require('./commands/remove-dead-code'),
    require('./commands/minify-assets')
  ],
  hooks: {
    'before-review': async (context) => {
      // Pre-process files before review
      context.files = await this.optimizeForReview(context.files);
    },
    'after-generate': async (context) => {
      // Post-process generated code
      await this.formatAndOptimize(context.output);
    }
  },
  config: {
    autoOptimize: true,
    preserveComments: false,
    targetES: 'ES2022'
  }
};

Install plugins:

# Install from npm
claude-code plugin install claude-code-plugin-optimizer

# Install from GitHub
claude-code plugin install github:username/plugin-name

# List installed plugins
claude-code plugin list

Advanced Debugging Techniques

Interactive Debugging Sessions

Start an interactive debugging session:

# Start debugging mode
claude-code debug --interactive

# In debug mode:
> load app.js
> breakpoint line 45
> analyze error "TypeError: Cannot read property 'name' of undefined"
> suggest fix
> test fix
> apply fix

Stack Trace Analysis

Analyze complex errors:

# Paste a stack trace
claude-code debug analyze-stack << 'EOF'
TypeError: Cannot read property 'map' of undefined
    at TodoList.render (TodoList.js:23:45)
    at finishClassComponent (react-dom.development.js:17485:31)
    at updateClassComponent (react-dom.development.js:17435:24)
EOF

Performance Profiling

Profile and optimize code:

# Profile a function
claude-code profile app.js --function=processData

# Analyze performance bottlenecks
claude-code analyze performance src/ --threshold=100ms

# Get optimization suggestions
claude-code optimize src/heavy-computation.js --target=speed

Hands-On Project

Building a Code Review Bot

Let's create an advanced code review bot that integrates with GitHub:

Step 1: Project Setup

# Create project directory
mkdir claude-review-bot && cd claude-review-bot

# Initialize Claude Code with advanced settings
claude-code init --advanced

# Configure for GitHub integration
claude-code config set integration.github.enabled true

Step 2: Create Review Rules

// .claude-code/review-rules.js
module.exports = {
  rules: {
    security: {
      enabled: true,
      severity: 'error',
      checks: [
        'no-eval',
        'no-innerHTML',
        'sql-injection',
        'xss-prevention'
      ]
    },
    performance: {
      enabled: true,
      severity: 'warning',
      checks: [
        'no-unnecessary-renders',
        'optimize-loops',
        'memoization-opportunities'
      ]
    },
    codeQuality: {
      enabled: true,
      severity: 'info',
      checks: [
        'naming-conventions',
        'function-complexity',
        'duplicate-code'
      ]
    }
  },
  customChecks: [
    {
      name: 'no-console-logs',
      pattern: /console\.(log|debug|info)/g,
      message: 'Remove console statements before committing',
      severity: 'warning'
    }
  ]
};

Step 3: Create GitHub Webhook Handler

// webhook-handler.js
const express = require('express');
const { ClaudeCode } = require('claude-code-sdk');

const app = express();
const claude = new ClaudeCode({
  apiKey: process.env.CLAUDE_API_KEY,
  config: require('./.claude-code/review-rules')
});

app.post('/webhook', express.json(), async (req, res) => {
  const { action, pull_request } = req.body;
  
  if (action === 'opened' || action === 'synchronize') {
    try {
      // Get changed files
      const files = await getChangedFiles(pull_request);
      
      // Perform advanced review
      const review = await claude.batchReview(files, {
        context: {
          pr: pull_request,
          repository: req.body.repository
        },
        parallel: true,
        includeMetrics: true
      });
      
      // Post review comments
      await postReviewComments(pull_request, review);
      
      res.json({ status: 'success', reviewId: review.id });
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Review failed:', error);
      res.status(500).json({ error: error.message });
    }
  } else {
    res.json({ status: 'ignored' });
  }
});

async function getChangedFiles(pr) {
  // Implementation to fetch changed files from GitHub
}

async function postReviewComments(pr, review) {
  // Implementation to post review comments to GitHub
}

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Review bot listening on port ${PORT}`);
});

Step 4: Deploy and Configure

# Deploy to your preferred platform
# Example with Heroku:
heroku create claude-review-bot
heroku config:set CLAUDE_API_KEY=your-api-key
git push heroku main

# Configure GitHub webhook
# Add webhook URL: https://your-app.herokuapp.com/webhook
# Select events: Pull requests

Step 5: Advanced Features

Add advanced capabilities:

// Advanced review features
claude.registerPlugin({
  name: 'architecture-review',
  analyze: async (files, context) => {
    // Check architectural patterns
    const architecture = await claude.analyze(files, {
      prompt: 'Analyze the architecture and identify anti-patterns',
      focus: ['coupling', 'cohesion', 'solid-principles']
    });
    
    return {
      score: architecture.score,
      suggestions: architecture.improvements,
      diagrams: await claude.generateDiagrams(architecture)
    };
  }
});

// Performance impact analysis
claude.registerPlugin({
  name: 'performance-impact',
  analyze: async (files, context) => {
    const impact = await claude.predictPerformanceImpact(files, {
      baseline: context.repository.mainBranch,
      metrics: ['bundle-size', 'runtime-performance', 'memory-usage']
    });
    
    return {
      bundleSizeDelta: impact.bundleSize,
      performanceScore: impact.score,
      warnings: impact.warnings
    };
  }
});

Best Practices and Tips

Code Review Best Practices

Configure Review Depth:

claude-code config set review.depth deep
claude-code config set review.contextLines 10

Use Review Templates:

// .claude-code/review-templates/security.js
module.exports = {
  name: 'security-review',
  focus: ['authentication', 'authorization', 'input-validation'],
  checklist: [
    'Are all inputs sanitized?',
    'Is authentication properly implemented?',
    'Are there any hardcoded secrets?'
  ]
};

Incremental Reviews:

# Review only changes since last commit
claude-code review --since=HEAD~1

# Review changes in a specific branch
claude-code review --branch=feature/new-api

Performance Best Practices

Optimize Context Size:

# Use minimal context for simple operations
claude-code config set context.strategy smart

# Exclude unnecessary files
claude-code context exclude "**/*.test.js" "**/node_modules/**"

Use Appropriate Models:

# Use Haiku for simple tasks
claude-code config set models.review claude-3-haiku

# Use Opus for complex generation
claude-code config set models.generate claude-3-opus

Enable Result Caching:

claude-code cache enable --ttl=3600
claude-code cache warm "src/**/*.js"

Security Best Practices

API Key Management:

# Use environment variables
export CLAUDE_API_KEY=your-key

# Or use secure key storage
claude-code auth --keychain

Audit Logs:

# Enable audit logging
claude-code config set audit.enabled true
claude-code config set audit.level verbose

# Review audit logs
claude-code audit show --last=100

Data Privacy:

# Configure sensitive data filtering
claude-code config set privacy.filterPatterns "*.env,*secret*,*key*"
claude-code config set privacy.redactSecrets true

Summary

You've now mastered advanced Claude Code features including:

✅ Advanced configuration and profiles
✅ Custom workflows and automation
✅ Sophisticated context management
✅ Advanced code generation techniques
✅ Tool and CI/CD integrations
✅ Performance optimization strategies
✅ Custom command and plugin development
✅ Advanced debugging capabilities
✅ Built a production-ready review bot

Next Steps

Explore Specialized Tutorials:
Join Advanced Workshops:
- Weekly advanced user sessions
- Plugin development workshop
- Performance optimization masterclass
Contribute to the Ecosystem:
- Share your custom commands
- Contribute to the Claude Code SDK
- Write plugins for the community

Last updated: January 2025 | Advanced Support | API Reference

Claude Code Advanced Features and Workflows

Prerequisites

Next Steps

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